On the job: Cathleen M. Liberty, health agent, town of Webster

Monday

May 2, 2011 at 8:11 AMMay 2, 2011 at 10:11 AM

"I enforce the Massachusetts Food Code by conducting food inspections. Those have to be done twice a year and kept up-to-date. I enforce the Massachusetts Housing Code, inspect nuisance properties, pools, tanning, recreation, manage the department and budget and write grants."

"I enforce the Massachusetts Food Code by conducting food inspections. Those have to be done twice a year and kept up-to-date. I enforce the Massachusetts Housing Code, inspect nuisance properties, pools, tanning, recreation, manage the department and budget and write grants."

"You should have a degree in a related field. Mine is in health science. In some cases I suppose if you have five years' experience as a sanitarian or health inspector, you could transition into a chief environmental health officer or health agent/director."

"Worcester State (University). I just graduated (in 2008). I was a nontraditional student. The last class I took, a public health survey class, (was taught by) the director in Watertown. I was hired right out of college and had a great learning experience in Watertown. Because of the skills I learned there from him and the other staff, I was able to fall into this place. Sometimes being a nontraditional student has its advantages. And actually I have two interns now from Worcester State with me, which is pretty exciting. I'm utilizing Worcester State to try to give back a little bit."

"With food inspections, anywhere from two to four a week, sometimes more depending on my schedule. A comprehensive food inspection takes up to 90 minutes, looking for basically violations. Any violations that are found are cited. Depending on the violation, I may have to go back within 24 hours. There are critical or non-critical violations.

Housing inspections vary. Basically, tenants call in with complaints. I address them immediately whether I feel like they're critical or non-critical. Basically I do five a week, at least one a day. The other day I did five inspections in one day."

"In the interim all the inspections were up to date. Moving forward, as I go out, the inspections are like they are anywhere. What happens is people get, I don't want to say lazy, but they're in the kitchen so much it almost becomes home. A glove becomes a hand. And it's my job to go in there. I always go in and say, `Look, I'm a gentle reminder that you're not doing things right.' You go in and educate the person in charge on how to do things right. Then you work with them because the re-inspection is more important than the inspection."

"We have formed a housing task force that addresses the nuisance properties and that includes fire, police, the building inspector, assessor, town administrator and the highway department."The building inspector and I go out and inspect the nuisance property, as you've probably read. We bring it back to the task force and we discuss what avenue we want to take. We have a few standard operating procedures.

"The biggest problem I have is tenants are still living in these foreclosure properties, and they are still paying utilities, so they have heat and hot water. I can't condemn the house. I can't remove them. They have their right to live there.

"What happens if the pipes burst? Who's responsible? What do I do with these tenants? So it's an issue if the tenants are not paying the water bill and the water gets shut off. What happens to the tenant? It's a big problem for the town. It's a huge problem for the tenants. And then no one's maintaining the property, the structural issues. It goes on and on.

"The building inspector and I presented to the Board of Selectmen about what the situation has been and what some of the properties are costing the town. Selectman Mark Dowgiewicz said we should post a 4 x 8 (public notice). We were shocked to find out the next day the Associated Press had gotten hold of it. That being said, the media can call it the `Wall of Shame,' but I think we're looking at it strictly as a way to communicate to the owner and get their attention, whether it be bank-owned or privately owned.

"It's exciting because Town Administrator John McAuliffe's goal when he hired (building inspector) Ted (Tetreault) and I was to focus on the nuisance properties. We just went right to town."

"I love everything about my job. I don't know if I'm still in the honeymoon phase - so talk to me in another year-and-a-half. I might have a different answer.

"It is difficult to see a certain level of poverty here in town. Very difficult to see, and I see it a lot in this area.

"For instance, there was a 10-unit dwelling infested with bedbugs, and I have an elderly man and the pest control company took his bed away. So where is he going to sleep?

"And he comes here to me and says, `I need a bed.'

"You know what? I'm going to find him a bed. I can't do that for everybody."

Compiled by reporter Brian Lee

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